Chen Deye, entrusted by Meng Yixin, said goodbye to his friend and left.
"I'll go check out that shop first. We'll have to catch up another time."
"Go ahead, go ahead," Jia Dongzhao waved him away.
Chen Deye notified his subordinates, "Bring two men with me."
There was no need to bring too many people for such a matter.
As he was leaving, his friend asked, "Even if you can't find any problems, you're still going to make trouble?"
Chen Deye just smiled at him and said nothing.
Chen Deye, with two subordinates in uniform, arrived at the mech accessories street and headed straight for the medicinal cuisine restaurant. Seeing that the restaurant was fully booked, Chen Deye wondered how this establishment had offended Miss Meng.
"This place is quite lively," one of his subordinates remarked.
Chen Deye went directly to the counter, tapped the surface twice with his finger, and flashed his work ID. He said to Meng Huai, "I am Chen Deye from the Imperial Capital Star Health Management Center. Someone has reported hygiene issues at your establishment. We need to conduct an inspection. Is the owner here?"
Meng Huai did not panic upon hearing this. He directly told the man, "I am the owner. Please proceed with your inspection. Perhaps the kitchen first? Would it be possible to allow our current customers to finish their meals first?"
Chen Deye had never seen such a calm owner before. Other establishments would be in a panic when they came for an inspection. And they certainly wouldn't request to let customers finish their meals! However, the owner's suggestion was not entirely unreasonable, so he said to his subordinates, "Then you two, go to the kitchen first!"
"Understood!"
The two, carrying their inspection toolboxes, were led to the kitchen by Sister Ting. As soon as the two in work uniforms entered the kitchen, they stopped Chef Bao and Xiao Nan from their work.
"You two, please pause your work. We are from the Health Management Center and need to collect samples."
Chef Bao had many years of experience and was not intimidated. He heard them, immediately turned off the heat, and gestured for them to collect their samples.
He even thoughtfully reminded them, "Be careful, it's hot."
However, Xiao Nan was only a teenager and naturally timid. Seeing the situation, he was terrified and retreated to the furthest corner.
Some of the dining guests in the hall noticed the commotion and asked, "Boss, what's going on?"
Xie You also walked over to Meng Huai. Chen Deye glanced at Xie You twice, finding him somewhat familiar, but not knowing any of the waitstaff, he didn't think much of it.
Seeing that guests were inquiring, Meng Huai truthfully replied, "Oh, it's nothing. Someone reported that our hygiene is not up to standard. These are the inspectors."
Upon hearing the words "not up to standard," some guests looked confused, some shocked, and some worried, all asking, "Hygiene not up to standard?"
"I didn't feel anything!"
"Could it be that someone is maliciously reporting us because this medicinal cuisine restaurant is doing so well?"
When Chen Deye heard this, his eyebrows subtly flickered, though he himself didn't notice. However, Xie You saw it and knew that it was indeed a malicious report.
However, Xie You had no intention of getting involved. He simply watched from the side. After all, what could a mere "waiter" like him do?
Someone else stood up and asked Meng Huai, "Boss, I feel uneasy now and can't eat anymore! Who knows if your hygiene issues are real or not?"
Indeed, not all customers could trust Meng Huai. After all, they were just customers and the owner, having met only a few times.
Meng Huai told her, "Esteemed guest, you are welcome to leave if you can't finish. All meals today will be complimentary."
Before Meng Huai could finish speaking, she continued, "If the health department finds any problems today, you can all come to me for compensation. Additionally, every table present today will receive a 'Come Again Anytime' card, exempt from the daily limit of one hundred tables, allowing you to dine without a reservation."
Meng Huai's words were so compelling that Chen Deye was greatly impressed by the owner's boldness. He wondered if this person had some unknown background or was genuinely so confident in the restaurant's hygiene.
The questioning guest, upon hearing Meng Huai's offer, conferred with her dining companions and they all stood up.
The person who spoke walked to the counter and said to Meng Huai, "Then we will look forward to our next visit. Frankly, with him standing there, we really can't eat!"
Meng Huai politely told the guest, "I understand. Please keep this card safe. You are always welcome to visit again."
Subsequently, a few more tables of guests left. The guests in the private rooms upstairs did not leave. As for the guests downstairs who remained, under Chen Deye's watchful eye, they continued to dine with peace of mind.
Chen Deye overheard some hushed conversations from the guests: "Let's eat quickly, that person is still waiting for the inspection!"
"Why do you care so much? The owner told us to eat, so we'll eat. It's not a big deal to wait a moment!"
"Right, I think someone is just looking for trouble. How could there be any problems with the owner's hygiene! To put it exaggeratedly, if it was dirty but could cure diseases, I'd still eat it!"
Meng Huai, upon hearing this, quickly said to the guest, "All our dishes are clean! Please don't joke, guest."
"Hehe, alright then!" The guest smiled at Meng Huai.
At this moment, the hall was filled with laughter. Many of the guests who heard the remark chuckled.
Chen Deye, standing in the hall, watched as the guests, unperturbed by the situation, were diligently eating. What was even more bewildering was their apparent happiness! Could it be that he wasn't wearing his work uniform and lacked intimidating presence?
Meng Huai hung a "Closed for Business" sign at the door and personally informed the reserved guests that they were closed today due to special circumstances. She also proposed ways to compensate them, which the guests accepted. Now, they were just waiting for the current diners to finish their meals and leave.
Once the guests had all departed, the inspection in the kitchen was also completed. Not only were ingredient samples collected, but even the food being prepared on the stoves was packed and taken away.
Each of the two individuals carried a toolbox in one hand and a packed box filled with items in the other. It looked less like an inspection and more like a raid.
After finishing their work in the kitchen, the two returned to Chen Deye with their toolboxes. Chen Deye asked, "Have you collected everything?"
"Yes. Preliminary inspection of the kitchen hygiene appears to be very good, with no obvious signs of dirt or disarray. However, we will need to wait for the sample analysis results."
Chen Deye nodded. Although he hadn't been to the kitchen, everything he saw in the hall revealed no hygiene issues.
However, another subordinate told Chen Deye, "However, many of the ingredients in the kitchen are unfamiliar."
Chen Deye repeated, "Unfamiliar?"
"Yes, and we can't identify them."
Chen Deye pondered. This issue was far more serious than hygiene. He hadn't expected them to actually uncover a problem...